League of Legends: MSI Moving onto Knockout Stage

The League of Legends MSI is heading into the knockout stage, where the top 4 teams will battle it out to see who will be the new MSI champions. If you haven't been keeping up with everything, you can read my last post on MSI to get up to speed.

In my last post, I gave my predictions for each of the 6 teams and where they would end up. Through the group stage my predictions have been correct -- as I suspected, the four teams remaining are:

The two teams that finished outside of the top 4 are Super Massive, who ended 1-9 and in 6th place. G2 ended in 5th place with a record of 2-8. Most people thought this team could have done a lot more, but they fell flat.

With group stage behind us, we move into the knockout stage where the 4 remaining teams fight for the championship title. RNG, who finished on top with a record of 8-2, will now go up against SKT T1, who tied for 3rd with a record of 6-4. CLG finished in second place with a record of 7-3, and will go up against Flash Wolves who tied SKT at 6-4.

The first teams to go at it on May 13th will be RNG vs SKT T1. When they faced off previously in the group stage, they split their games 1-1. RNG made Game 1 in that stage look really easy, and in many people's eyes they were the team to beat. SKT T1 won the second game, but they let RNG get back into the game a few times when they could/should have closed it out.

But in a best of 5, things are much different than in a best of 1. SKT T1 said they really want to win this tournament, because it's the only one the team hasn't won. Also, SKT T1 always seems to play on a higher level during a best of 5. RNG, on the other hand, is coming into the knockout stage looking really hot, and seems to be the team to beat.

The next series is CLG vs Flash Wovles on May 14th. These two teams had a different story in the group stage, where CLG took both games from Flash Wolves. In both of those games, Flash Wolves had chances to take the upper hand, but CLG never let that happen. In a best of 5. both teams will be put to the test and will have to learn what each team wants to play and how to play around it.

In my last post about MSI I said SKT T1 would win, RNG 2nd place, CLG 3rd place, and Flash Wolves 4th. But some things worked out differently, so RNG and SKT have to do battle in semifinals. My new prediction is that RNG will beat SKT and then go onto the finals. CLG will beat Flash Wolves and then will face RNG in the finals. In the finals I think RNG will take CLG 3-2, with Mata being the MVP on the finals.

In the battle for 3rd place, SKT T1 will go against Flash Wolves. After losing to RNG in the semifinals, SKT will not want to end up 4th at MSI. SKT T1 will take down Flash Wolves in 4 games 3-1.